Greater Sudbury city council has greenlit an $800,000 pilot initiative utilizing artificial intelligence to streamline the review of building permit applications. The aim is to detect issues earlier and slash processing times without replacing city personnel.
Under this program, AI technology will serve as an initial screening tool when applicants submit plans via the city’s Pronto portal. It will scrutinize applications for missing details and potential violations of Greater Sudbury’s zoning regulations and sections of the Ontario Building Code.
Kris Longston, the city’s general manager of planning and growth, explained that this approach could provide applicants with prompt feedback, eliminating the need to wait several days for staff review before being notified of deficiencies.
The system will undergo training on the city’s zoning laws and permit procedures, akin to onboarding a new employee who must grasp the system’s operations before handling complex tasks. Longston anticipates that the technology will prevent incomplete applications from entering the Pronto system, raising the quality bar and potentially accelerating turnaround times.
Builders in the region, such as Morgan Roleau, CEO of the Northern Ontario Home Builders Association, have expressed cautious interest in Sudbury’s plan. Permit delays have posed challenges for builders, with applications submitted in May sometimes taking until August for approval, including cases involving simple issues that could have been rectified earlier.
Roleau acknowledged the potential of AI to standardize requirements and compliance checks but cautioned that faster screening might not address underlying problems in the permitting process. She highlighted that even minor errors could push an application to the back of the queue, doubling the permit issuance timeline.
Experts like Mojgan Jadidi from York University emphasized AI’s value in handling repetitive tasks in permitting processes, reducing administrative burdens and enabling professionals to focus on intricate decisions. However, human oversight remains crucial for cases involving complex circumstances or subjective interpretations.
John Lane, president of the Ontario Building Officials Association, noted AI’s proficiency in flagging clear and repetitive issues in building plans but emphasized the irreplaceable role of human judgment in cases requiring nuanced evaluations. AI’s primary strength lies in expediting compliance checks, allowing staff to make final decisions swiftly.
The project’s funding will be drawn from the city’s Building Permit Revenue Stabilization Reserve Fund, with potential annual AI licensing fees of $350,000 to be covered by building permit revenues if full implementation proceeds post-pilot. Sudbury aims to assess the pilot’s impact on the front end of the permitting process before committing to broader adoption.